Danger (Mafia Ties Book 2)
Chapter 1
Anna
Waking up to sunlight streaming through the window, and the other side of the bed still empty, was a disappointment—a major one. Nic hadn't told me much about the work he did, but if it was going to keep him from being able to sleep, either with or without me, then maybe I needed to push him into letting me help. Somehow. With whatever I could. When Sophia was at school during the day, I had hours upon hours to myself with nothing to do since Nic had a cleaning staff who already kept his home in pristine condition.
As I left his bed and headed to my room to grab a robe, I was determined to find Nic and make him open up to me about whatever it was at work that was weighing so heavily on his shoulders. After a quick peek into Sophia's room to make sure she was still asleep, I headed downstairs, hoping to find him in his office. The doorbell rang as my feet hit the bottom step, so I headed towards the door instead. When I opened it to find a gorgeous but disheveled redhead standing there, I didn't like it. Not even a little bit.
It might make me a cavewoman, but the thought of another woman thinking she had the right to come knocking on Nic’s door this early in the morning didn't sit well with me. I was already feeling defensive when she blatantly looked me up and down, her green eyes flaring with a hint of humor I didn't understand. I expected her to make some kind of disparaging remark about me, but nothing could have prepared me for what she actually said.
"The word is spreading about you. But, I have to say, you aren't what I expected. You seem awfully innocent to be with the ruthless, gun-running head of the local mafia."
Ruthless?
Gun-running?
Mafia?
Say what now?
"Oh, shit," she muttered, her eyes filling with contrition. "You didn't know."
I shook my head back and forth, trying to convince myself it wasn't true even as my mind started putting all the pieces together. The late meetings, literally at all hours of the night, when no respectable businessman would be doing anything work related unless it was a call overseas to Japan or something. The guys in dark suits with bulges under their coats that in hindsight looked a lot like gun holsters. The careful way the staff at the school treated Sophia, which I'd attributed to her health. The air of deference from people when they spoke to Nic, with a hint of fear underneath it.
I'd made excuses for it all, refusing to believe the truth staring me straight in the face. Love had blinded me.
Love.
Oh, crap. I'd somehow managed to turn into a double cliché. Not only was I the nanny who'd fallen for her single-dad boss, but I was also the good Catholic girl who'd given her virginity to the head of the Italian mafia. What had I been thinking? Then I felt Nic's heat as he came up behind me and I was reminded of the fact that I couldn't think when he was around. I couldn't because I was too busy being overwhelmed by him.
"Carly," he growled, anchoring his arm around my waist and squeezing tight when I tried to wiggle away. "It's good to see you didn't flee town after what happened with Bran, but I don’t appreciate you speaking to my fiancée about things which don't concern you."
Fiancée? I glanced down at my ring finger just to make sure I hadn't missed something overnight. I didn't find a ring there, but I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd slipped one on me while I'd been sleeping. He was so darn high-handed. A trait which was sure to be immensely helpful since he ran an illegal empire, but not so much when it came to how he handled me. Even if I let him get away with it each and every time. A little huff escaped my lips, and his fingers dug into my waist as he tugged me even closer to his body.
"Look," the woman bit out, her attention wholly focused on Nic. I was surprised to find no sign of fear or deference from her. In fact, she looked irritated. "I didn't have to come here and warn you, but I wasn't sure Bran would do it since the asshat seems to think I'm aligned with my da. You need to fill the moat, lift the drawbridge, and keep the dragons circling your castle if you want to keep your queen and princess safe."
My eyes widened at her description, drawing her gaze to mine before she turned back to Nic. "And you might want to fill your queen in on what her life is going to be like before she gives you another little princess. Being kept in the dark about what's going on around you sucks ass. And it doesn't keep you safe." She glowered at Nic, a deep pain filling her eyes. "If anything, it makes it hurt more when you're dragged into the harsh reality of our world."
"Her situation is nothing like yours, Carly. Your father and I are two very different people."
"I hope so. For her sake and mine," she whispered, turning away and heading for the stairs.
Anna
Waking up to sunlight streaming through the window, and the other side of the bed still empty, was a disappointment—a major one. Nic hadn't told me much about the work he did, but if it was going to keep him from being able to sleep, either with or without me, then maybe I needed to push him into letting me help. Somehow. With whatever I could. When Sophia was at school during the day, I had hours upon hours to myself with nothing to do since Nic had a cleaning staff who already kept his home in pristine condition.
As I left his bed and headed to my room to grab a robe, I was determined to find Nic and make him open up to me about whatever it was at work that was weighing so heavily on his shoulders. After a quick peek into Sophia's room to make sure she was still asleep, I headed downstairs, hoping to find him in his office. The doorbell rang as my feet hit the bottom step, so I headed towards the door instead. When I opened it to find a gorgeous but disheveled redhead standing there, I didn't like it. Not even a little bit.
It might make me a cavewoman, but the thought of another woman thinking she had the right to come knocking on Nic’s door this early in the morning didn't sit well with me. I was already feeling defensive when she blatantly looked me up and down, her green eyes flaring with a hint of humor I didn't understand. I expected her to make some kind of disparaging remark about me, but nothing could have prepared me for what she actually said.
"The word is spreading about you. But, I have to say, you aren't what I expected. You seem awfully innocent to be with the ruthless, gun-running head of the local mafia."
Ruthless?
Gun-running?
Mafia?
Say what now?
"Oh, shit," she muttered, her eyes filling with contrition. "You didn't know."
I shook my head back and forth, trying to convince myself it wasn't true even as my mind started putting all the pieces together. The late meetings, literally at all hours of the night, when no respectable businessman would be doing anything work related unless it was a call overseas to Japan or something. The guys in dark suits with bulges under their coats that in hindsight looked a lot like gun holsters. The careful way the staff at the school treated Sophia, which I'd attributed to her health. The air of deference from people when they spoke to Nic, with a hint of fear underneath it.
I'd made excuses for it all, refusing to believe the truth staring me straight in the face. Love had blinded me.
Love.
Oh, crap. I'd somehow managed to turn into a double cliché. Not only was I the nanny who'd fallen for her single-dad boss, but I was also the good Catholic girl who'd given her virginity to the head of the Italian mafia. What had I been thinking? Then I felt Nic's heat as he came up behind me and I was reminded of the fact that I couldn't think when he was around. I couldn't because I was too busy being overwhelmed by him.
"Carly," he growled, anchoring his arm around my waist and squeezing tight when I tried to wiggle away. "It's good to see you didn't flee town after what happened with Bran, but I don’t appreciate you speaking to my fiancée about things which don't concern you."
Fiancée? I glanced down at my ring finger just to make sure I hadn't missed something overnight. I didn't find a ring there, but I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd slipped one on me while I'd been sleeping. He was so darn high-handed. A trait which was sure to be immensely helpful since he ran an illegal empire, but not so much when it came to how he handled me. Even if I let him get away with it each and every time. A little huff escaped my lips, and his fingers dug into my waist as he tugged me even closer to his body.
"Look," the woman bit out, her attention wholly focused on Nic. I was surprised to find no sign of fear or deference from her. In fact, she looked irritated. "I didn't have to come here and warn you, but I wasn't sure Bran would do it since the asshat seems to think I'm aligned with my da. You need to fill the moat, lift the drawbridge, and keep the dragons circling your castle if you want to keep your queen and princess safe."
My eyes widened at her description, drawing her gaze to mine before she turned back to Nic. "And you might want to fill your queen in on what her life is going to be like before she gives you another little princess. Being kept in the dark about what's going on around you sucks ass. And it doesn't keep you safe." She glowered at Nic, a deep pain filling her eyes. "If anything, it makes it hurt more when you're dragged into the harsh reality of our world."
"Her situation is nothing like yours, Carly. Your father and I are two very different people."
"I hope so. For her sake and mine," she whispered, turning away and heading for the stairs.